Contract extension or no contract extension, Jimmy Butler can still afford a cab ride.

So it was last week in Sacramento, where the Chicago Bulls guard showed up via taxi nearly an hour before any of his teammates would arrive to that morning's shoot-around. So it is and may always be for Butler, the 25-year-old whose extra work is paying off like never before this season — even though he didn't get a new deal done with the Bulls before last month's extension deadline.

Butler swears he's not working any harder now because the Bulls decided against giving him the maximum-salary contract his representatives were seeking. And despite injuries to Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol giving Butler the starring role he's never had before, it's not as though he's only working overtime now because the spotlight is brighter.

This is — to the delight of coach Tom Thibodeau and the rest of this Bulls group that has been trying to take that next step for so many years now — just Jimmy being Jimmy.

The Bulls are going through a brutal early-season road stretch, one that got worse in Friday's loss to the Portland Trail Blazers when super sixth man Taj Gibson sprained his ankle, which could keep him out for a few weeks. If they're going to survive, Butler is going to be leading the way. He's putting up All-Star caliber numbers to this point (20.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals a game) while looking like a front-runner for the league's Most Improved Player Award.

And as anyone who knows his story could imagine, the challenges that surround him hardly qualify as insurmountable considering where Butler has been. Before starring at Marquette and being drafted 30th overall in 2011, the Tomball, Texas, native was homeless at the age of 13 when his mother put him on the street (with his father playing no part in his life), and he later lived with an adopted family.

Butler has long since found his way, and he's convinced the Bulls (8-5) will do just that by the time the end of this season rolls around. When asked last week if this is a championship team, even with the recent rash of injuries, Butler told USA TODAY Sports, "Hell yeah, it's a championship team. We're going to win that (expletive)."

April 13, 2015: Every bounce is crucial at this point in the season for the Pelicans, who are closing in on a playoff berth. New Orleans and Minnesota vie for a rebound during the Pelicans' 100-88 win. Bruce Kluckhohn, USA TODAY Sports

April 9, 2015: It was another big night in Oakland as MVP candidate Stephen Curry broke his own single-season record for 3s and the Warriors clinched the league's best record with a 116-105 win over the Blazers. Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports

April 5, 2015: Paul George felt the love from the Indiana crowd as he made an emotional return to the court. George scored 13 points in his first game of the season after breaking his leg in the offseason. Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY Sports

March 31, 2015: Even though Andrew Bogut (12), David Lee (10) and the Warriors had a hard time corralling Blake Griffin (32), Golden State found a way to win. Griffin poured in 40 points, but Golden State beat Los Angeles 110-106 for its 10th straight victory. Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports

March 24, 2015: The Bucks celebrated a crucial win in the most dramatic fashion. Khris Middleton hit a 3 as time expired to cap a 16-point, fourth-quarter rally and give Milwaukee an 89-88 win over Miami. The win moved the Bucks 2½ games ahead of the Heat for sixth in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Jeff Hanisch, USA TODAY Sports

March 22, 2015: Tiago Splitter (22) got a face full of Pero Antic's arm on this shot attempt, but Splitter and the Spurs didn't let it get them down. Splitter scored a team-high 23 points to help San Antonio notch a 114-95 win. Dale Zanine, USA TODAY Sports

March 21, 2015: Suns forward P.J. Tucker was pumped up after a second-half basket against the Rockets. Tucker chipped in 19 points as Phoenix won 117-102 for a crucial road victory. Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports

March 20, 2015: LeBron James had everything working for him in the Cavs' 95-92 win over the Pacers. James scored a game-high 29 points, including two on this nifty scoop shot. David Richard, USA TODAY Sports

March 17, 2015: On a night James Harden struggled, Josh Smith (5) and the rest of the Rockets picked up the slack in a win over the Magic. Harden shot just 4-of-14 from the field, but Smith chipped in 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting as Houston prevailed 107-94. Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports

March 16, 2015: Things didn't go exactly as planned for LeBron James in his latest return to Miami. James scored 26 points, but his former Heat teammates topped the Cavaliers 106-92. Tommy Gilligan, USA TODAY Sports

March 15, 2015: Dennis Schroder (17) and the Hawks harassed Jordan Clarkson (6) and the Lakers into 40% shooting and 21 turnovers on the way to a 91-86 win. Schroder also scored a game-high 24 points. Kelvin Kuo, USA TODAY Sports

March 13, 2015: Russell Westbrook had everything working for him again, including a 32-footer here at the halftime buzzer. Westbrook finished with 29 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds for his sixth triple-double in eight games, and the Thunder won 113-99. Mark D. Smith, USA TODAY Sports

March 12, 2015: A hand in the face was nowhere near enough to slow Kyrie Irving on this night. Irving poured in 57 points, the most in the NBA this season, to rally the Cavaliers past the Spurs 128-125 in overtime. Soobum Im, USA TODAY Sports

March 4, 2015: Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook reacts after being fouled on a made basket against the Philadelphia 76ers during the fourth quarter. Mark D. Smith, Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Feb. 23, 2015: James Harden had everything working in the Rockets' 113-102 win over the Timberwolves. Harden finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his second triple-double of the season. Thomas B. Shea, USA TODAY Sports

Feb. 15, 2014: West guard Russell Westbrook skies for a dunk at Madison Square Garden en route to being named All-Star Game MVP after scoring 41 points in a 163-158 West victory. Pool Photo, USA TODAY Sports

Feb. 6, 2015: Anthony Davis celebrates perhaps the biggest shot of his young career, a three-pointer at the buzzer that gave the Pelicans a dramatic 116-113 win over the Thunder. Davis finished with 41 points as New Orleans overcame 48 points from Russell Westbrook. Mark D. Smith, USA TODAY Sports

Feb. 4, 2015: Stephen Curry showed off his flexibility, range and entire offensive repertoire while pouring in a season-high 51 points against the Mavericks. Curry scored 26 in the third quarter alone as the Warriors rallied from an early 22-point deficit to win 128-114. Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports

Jan. 29, 2015: Pau Gasol won two titles with the Lakers, and the fan showed him some love with a standing ovation upon his return with the Bulls. Los Angeles, however, got the last laugh with a 123-118 win in 2OT that snapped a nine-game losing streak. Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY Sports

Jan. 25, 2015: Derrick Rose (1) and the Bulls had a hard time getting anything past Heat center Hassan Whiteside (21) during Miami's 96-84 win. Whiteside had a career-high 12 blocks to go along with 14 points and 13 rebounds in his first career triple-double. David Banks, USA TODAY Sports

Jan. 17, 2015: James Harden was left scratching his head during the Rockets' 131-106 home loss to the Warriors. Golden State limited Harden, the league's leading scorer, to 12 points on 4-of-15 shooting to beat Houston for the third time this season. Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports

Jan. 15, 2015: LeBron James got the best of Kobe Bryant in a match-up of two of this generation's biggest stars. James scored 36 points to help overcome Bryant's career-high 17 assists as the Cavaliers beat the Lakers 109-102 to snap a six-game losing streak. Richard Mackson, USA TODAY Sports

Jan. 8, 2015: An already miserable season got worse for the Knicks when fans began showing up to Madison Square Garden with paper bags over their heads. The Knicks were blown out by the Rockets 120-96 for their 14th consecutive loss. Anthony Gruppuso, USA TODAY Sports

Dec. 20, 2014: Rajon Rondo (9) speaks with new coach Rick Carlisle during his debut with the Mavericks. Dallas beat San Antonio 99-93 in the first game since acquiring the All-Star point guard from Boston. Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports

Dec. 8, 2014: Prince Williams and Duchess Kate of England had a front-row seat to watch the NBA's version of royalty LeBron James lead his Cavaliers past the Nets in Brooklyn. Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY Sports

Nov. 21, 2014: Nuggets center JaVale McGee (34) kisses the cheek of fan Marilyn Quagliano after falling into an open seat next to her in the second quarter against the Pelicans. Isaiah J. Downing, USA TODAY Sports

From Thibodeau to Butler to reigning Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah on down, there is a contagious confidence with this group that has been serving them so well in these past two tumultuous seasons. But this latest situation with Rose, the one in which his recent comments relating to his hamstring injury have been so widely criticized, is having a hardening effect that Butler says will pull them through.

"Whatever everybody says on the outside we don't pay attention to because we're the ones who have to go out there and win games," Butler said. "It's us against the world. Some people are on our side, and some people aren't. That's how it is.

"We've got a team full of NBA players just like everybody else. One guy goes down, and the next has to step up and produce. Don't get me wrong. I don't want anybody to get hurt, but we still have a team full of good guys and we can still win games… We're a good team. We play hard. You know, everything doesn't go your way, but we can only control the things that we can control."

Like Noah before him, Butler said people need to relax when it comes to criticizing Rose.

"Man, (Rose's) head is in the same place all of our heads are in, and that's wanting to win a championship," Butler said. "That's what he's getting ready for. That's what we're getting ready for. We want him to be 100% — not 99% — because you come back too early and you're risking another injury. He's fine. He's our leader, and he knows what he's doing."

As for Butler's mindset after not getting an extension deal done with the Bulls, he shook his head when asked if there's any lingering resentment.

"Nah, nah," said Butler, who will be a restricted free agent next summer. "I love the city of Chicago. I think everybody knows that. I just feel like I've just got to help win games, man. I want a championship. The money has never been an issue because I'm from Tomball. The money I make now is more than nothing. I just wanted to prove to my teammates, to my coaches, to the city, that I'm here to stay."

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